Challenges of Maturity Models in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Maturity models (MMs) have witnessed exponential increase due to their successful application in several domains. However, there is an absence of review that guides researchers in developing, applying and validating Public-Private Partnership maturity models (PPPMMs). This study examines PPPMMs, provides guidance on the topic and highlights gaps in the literature. A literature search on selected electronic databases was conducted, and the study adopted the widely accepted Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement (PRISMA). The study identified a total of four thousand six hundred and eighteen (4,618) studies, and twenty-one studies (21Nr) were rigorously selected. The results revealed PPPMMs as an emerging area of research with a low number – 21 publications since its deployment for about two (2) decades. Similarly, the findings unveiled a lack of uniformity in conceptualising the terms, dimensions used, and methodology adopted. This finding is attributed mainly to the limited use of the theoretical lens, which considerably weakens the model’s theoretical foundation and limits its potential to guide improvement. Additionally, there are more efforts in developing MMs than applying and validating them. Furthermore, there is an unbalanced focus on descriptive models over prescriptive and comparative models, which inhibit the model’s potential to guide improvement. Future work should provide a solid ground to the field using a theoretical lens and focus on prescriptive models with a strong emphasis on application and validation. This research is the first of its kind that synthesises and brings together available PPPMMs literature into one place. It also contributes to the body of knowledge by highlighting areas of research that require immediate attention to enhance the much-needed success of PPP in the post-COVID-19 era.